Current-motor.



Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTURN E YS 1H: Nonms Haies co., wnsmzvmom n. c.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. GUYNN. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 11| 1010.

Patented Mar. 14,1911.

1H: ummm Funes co., wAsnlNcor-r, u. c

NETE

LINCOLN GUYNN, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Application filed July 11, 1910.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LiNeonN GUYNN, a citizen ot' the United States, and a resident ol: Seattle, in the county of ,Kingi and State ot llvashingt-on, have invented certain Improvements in Gurrent-lllotors, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class ot motors which are designed and adapted to utilize the t'oree olf a 'flowing` body ot water such as may be found in rivers or ocean tides.

(')ne ot the chief objects of the improve ments is to provide a motor adapted to pro- Iiect paddles into the water automatically and to a certain required depth so as to utilize in a maximum degree the force or power ot' the water current, and to reduce to a minimum the 'friction ot' the revolving portion ot' the apparatus.

A\nother object is to so construct the apparatus that the blades or paddles may be alternately lowered into and raised 'from the water as the levers to which they are attached are revolved around a central point, the levers being pivoted and tilted to alternately lower and raise them.

Another feature ot' the invention is the provision ot' means lor adjusting' the depth at which the blades or paddlesI dip in the water. The levers carrying the paddles may be adjusted vertically at the same time that they are swept around in a circle, so as to hold the blades or paddles submerged to any required depth. The same provisions enable the operator at any time to wholly remove all blades or paddles from the current. The blades or paddles are so controlled that they enter the current at an angle to the current, and as the motor under the force ot' the current exerted on the blades or paddles revolves. the angle of the blades or paddles constantly changes so that when each lever has reached a position at right angles to the current, the blade or paddle is at the same angle, and the change continues, so that the blades or paddles are kept at the most advantageous angle to the currentl during' all the time they are in the same, which may be during' titty or more per cent. o't the circle described by the blades or paddles, so that the maximum power ot' the current is received and transmitted.

The invention embodies other 'features as hereinafter described.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Har. 14C, 1911.

serial No. 571,330.

is a plan view of the motor in operation. Fie'. 2 is a sectional. elevation ot' the motor.

Fig. il is a plan view ol a portion ot the motor. Fig. ylis a detail view o1 the rack and guide. Fig. 5 is a sectional view ot' the inner end ot one ot the pzuldle-carrying levers, together with the `rear mounted thereon. Fig. (5 is a vertical cross section ot one ot the blades or paddles.

1 indicates a [loat which, in practice, is placed in a stream whose current is to be utilized. Upon this float is secured a circular iron base-plate 2 upon which is fixed an annular rail 3 provided with a groove to receive anti'lriction balls and constituting a track theretor-sce Fig. 2.

The base-plate 2 has a central opening', and at that pointy a hollow vertical post 4. is secured, it being` provided with horizolr tal flanges, which are, in practice, bolted or riveted to thc base-plate. Around this post revolves a horizontal platform 5 which rests upon the antit'riction balls in the track and other balls (3 that travel upon the shoulder oil the llange securing the post to the baseplate.

llpon the plat't'orm at its edgens secured an annular driving gear 7 with which a driven ,c'ear S meshes. the latter being mounted upon the horizontal sha'tt 9 arranged in suitable bearings and which, in practice, is operatively connected with any machinery to be driven. Around and upon the platform 5 and concentric with the hollow post +L is arranged a series ot vertical posts or standards 10 which have enlarged heads 101l in the form of a truncated wedges-see Fig. 1. The lateral edges or sides ot these heads are parallel and be tween cach two is arranged a lever or lever arm 11 which carries a blade or paddle 12 at its outer end. As shown in Fig. l, the series ot levers 11 extends completely around the platform and they rise and fall snccessively as thc platform revolves. The levers are pivoted at 13 between the heads 10 and are weighted at their inner ends so that the longer arms ot' the same are slightly overloalanced. The levers are preferably constructed o't' wrought iron or steel corru- Aated lengthwise and tapered for sake of lightness.

A shaft 1st extends through each lever and carries a beveled pinion 15 at its outer end which is journaled in a yoke 16. The aforesaid pnion 15 meshes with a beveled gear 17 current.

whose shaft is journaled in the yolte 16 and is bifurcated and extends down on the sides of the blade or paddle, as shown in Fig. 6, the bifurcated portions being suitably riveted to the paddle. The paddle is likewise strengthened longitudinally by means of metal strips 18 and is weighted at one end 19. On the inner end of the aforesaid shaft 1st is mounted a spur gear 2O that travels over and meshes with a. rack 2l, the same be ing semicircular in form as will be understood'by reference to Figs. 1 and racl; is fixed on a sleeve 22 which is adapted to slide vertically on the post f1 but is prevented from rotation thereon. This sleeve with the rack and other attachments to be presently described is adjusted vert-ically by means of rods and levers 23 which are operated by a hand lever 24. Another attachment of the same sleeve 22 is a guide and rack bar 25-see Figs. 2 and 1. This guide and raclr bar is arranged over the toothed semicircular rack 21, and the shaft 14C of each lever 11 is extended beyond the gear 2O and provided with an antifriction bearing 26-see Figs. 2 and 5. This bear ing is in the nature of a conical roller that is adapted to rotate on balls 27 held in suitable guides fixed on the shaft 14. The roller 26 travels in contact with the under side of the before-described guide 25. The descending` ends of the guide 25 are formed as a rack 25a-see Figs. 2 and 4. Thus, either end constitutes a descending or ascending` part which permits operating the motor in either direction, whereby the motor may reverse its action wit-h tide or current Without disengaging the blades or paddles from the current. The rack 251* serves to guide the blades or paddles to the perpendicular when gear 20 descends, or ascends, the blades or paddles thus passing from the perpendicular to the angle at which they should enter the On the side opposite the semicircular rack 21 is arranged another guide-bar 28 with which the roller 26 travels in contact during a part of the revolution of the levers and blades around the post et.

When force is applied suiiicient to cause a leyer to dip, its blade or paddle engages the current, and succeeding blades or paddles are also dipped, which causes rotation of the motor or platform with gear 7 attached. In the course of this rotation, the gears 20, mounted on the inner ends of the lever shafts 14, will travel up and onto the semicircular rack 21 and then around the rack, in which movement it is apparent that the shaft 14 will be rotated. The proportions of the different parts of the gears or gearing are such as required to feather the blades or paddles properly; that is to sa-y, to hold them at such angle to the direction of the currentthat the latter may act thereon with the greatest effect. The blades or paddles This l ment of spur gear 20 with rack 25a, thus insuring their entering the water Vagain at the proper angle. As the levers pass around with the platform, the roller 26 running on the inner guide bar 28 is gradually carried down from the vertical position and its gear 2O passes up into contact with the rack 21 by which the lever is held in the position required to dip the blades or paddles in the water to the desired depth-see Fig. 2. By

the foregoing means and the action of rack` A 21 and gear 20, the angle of the blades or paddles is also controlled and constantly changed while 1n the current. The upper guide 25 aids in holding the lever at the required angle both while its gear travels over the rack 21 and after it has passed olf the same. The guides being adjustable vertically along with the rack 21, it is apparent through the means of the lever mechanism 23 and 24e, the levers may be adjusted at any required angle while the blades are immersed in the water. enables the operator to wholly remove the blades or paddles from the current at any time.

The operation of the motor as a whole, and especially the gear 20 and raclr 25-, may be further stated as follows. Vhen a lever 11 is near the perpendicular, as relnesented in lower part of Fig. 1, its blade or paddle, by virtue of weight 19, is vertical or parallel with the lever 11. At the instant that blade or paddle enters the current, the same is several degrees from parallel with the lever 11` as is indicated by the lever pointing to the right in Fig. 1. To yproduce the change in the angle of the blade or paddle from vertical to that at which it enters the current, is the Vproper function of the internal rack 25'D1 by engaging the top of spur gear 20. It will appear by following the direction of arrows in F ig. 1 that while the bottom of gear 20 engages 21, the changing angles of the blades or paddles is produced, as is illustrated in top half of Fig. 1.Y After 20 shall have passed off 21, and 26 has traveled down on 2S a distance suliicient to raise` lades or paddles free of current, the rack 25 engages the top of gear 20 and as motor moves forward, action on blade or paddle the reverse of that produced from conta ct of 2O and 21 is produced, and the blade or Said mechanism also -Y paddle is thereby guided to a vertical position or parallel with thc lever l1, and by virtue of the weight lt), it so remains, until in its travel about the circumference, it strikes the inclined part of 28 and in ascend ing the top of gear 20 engages the rack- Q5 and this moves the blade or paddle from the vertical to the angle at which it is to enter the current, and it drops into the current as 25 releases 20, When 2l at once engages 2() and controls angle of blade or paddle during the work period. rlhe reversal of the current will produce the reverse action throughout the motor and its parts, thus producing a reversible motor.

1. The improved current motor comprising a suitable base, a central post, a platform revolving` around the post and the latter having an annular rack allixed to one side, a series of levers pivoted upon supports secured to the platform, a rotatable shaft operatively connected with each lever and having at its inner end a gear adapted to travel on the aforesaid rack and carrying at its outer end a blade or paddle, and gearing operatively connecting the shaft with the blade or paddle whereby the latter is feathered as the platform and levers are revolved, substantially as described.

9. ln a current motor, the combinatitm with a suitable base and a central, vertical hollow post which is fixed in position, of a platform revolving around the post, a driven shaftgeared therewith, a series of levers pivoted to supports on the platform and thus carried with it, a vertically adjustable rack supported on the post, means for adjusting the same, shafts ournaled in the levers and having gears meshing with the rack, paddles hung from the outer ends of the shafts and levers, and gearing operatively connecting the paddles with the shafts, whereby the paddles may be adjusted to the required depth in the water and :feathered in the r-equired manner, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a suitable base support` having a central post, a platform adapted to revolve around said post, and

means for driving the same, a semicireular rack supported adjustably on the post, means for adjusting the same vertically and preventingl its rotation, a series of levers pivoted upon suitable supports carried by the platform, shafts passing through the levers and journaled therein, gears fixed on the inner ends of the shafts and adapted to mesh with the rack, paddles carried on the outer ends of the levers and shafts, and gearing operatively connecting them with the shafts for the purpose of feathering, guides having a fixed connection with the ack whereby they are adjusted vertically with it, and a projection on the inner end of the shafts which works in contact with the guides for raising and lowering the levers to carry the paddles out of and into the water, substantially as described.

Lt. The combination with a suitable base and a vertical post, of a platform revolving around the latter, a semieireular rack which is adjustable, vertically on the post, and means for adjusting the same, a series of levers pivoted upon supports carried by the platform, blades or paddles hung from the outer ends of the levers, and gearing operatively connecting the paddles with the rack, whereby the ruck may be adjusted at different heights and the paddles thereby dip more or less in the water, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a suitable base having an annular grooved track, antifriction balls held therein, a revolving platform resting on said balls and provided with an annular gear, a driving shaft having a spur gear meshing with said annular gear, a series of levers pivoted on supports carried by the platform, and means for guiding the levers as they revolve, whereby they are alternately raised and lowered, and blades or paddles ailixed to the outer ends of the levers, substantially as described.

LINCOLN GUYNN.

Witnesses NE1L LUMAnnE, JAMES Luxmann.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

